Anisotropic non-Kolmogorov turbulence phase screens with variable orientation

We describe a modification to fast Fourier transform (FFT)-based, subharmonic, phase screen generation techniques that accounts for non-Kolmogorov and anisotropic turbulence. Our model also allows for the angle of anisotropy to vary in the plane orthogonal to the direction of propagation. In addition, turbulence strength in our model is specified via a characteristic length equivalent to the Fried parameter in isotropic, Kolmogorov turbulence. Incorporating this feature enables comparison between propagating scenarios with differing anisotropies and power-law exponents to the standard Kolmogorov, isotropic model. We show that the accuracy of this technique is comparable to other FFT-based subharmonic methods up to three-dimensional spectral power-law exponents around 3.9

Deep Turbulence Effects Compensation Experiments with a Cascaded Adaptive Optics System Using a 3.63 m Telescope

Compensation of extended (deep) turbulence effects is one of the most challenging problems in adaptive optics (AO). In the AO approach described, the deep turbulence wave propagation regime was achieved by imaging stars at low elevation angles when image quality improvement with conventional AO was poor. These experiments were conducted at the U.S. Air Force Maui Optical and Supercomputing Site (AMOS) by using the 3.63 m telescope located on Haleakala, Maui. To enhance compensation performance we used a cascaded AO system composed of a conventional AO system based on a Shack–Hartmann wavefront sensor and a deformable mirror with 941 actuators, and an AO system based on stochastic parallel gradient descent optimization with four deformable mirrors (75 control channels). This first-time field demonstration of a cascaded AO system achieved considerably improved performance of wavefront phase aberration compensation. Image quality was improved in a repeatable way in the presence of stressing atmospheric conditions obtained by using stars at elevation angles as low as 15°